The present invention expands upon the concept of the prepackaged mounting assembly that is disclosed in and shares inventorship with U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,191,362, 6,355,883, 6,509,524, 6,632,998, 6,646,201, 6,677,523, 6,734,356, 6,777,615, and 6,794,573, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The prepackaged mounting assemblies disclosed in these patents provide all the hardware needed for attaching a mounting assembly to an overhead beam, including all required fasteners to complete the installation, without the need for an outer wrap or separate packaging to hold the separate components.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,356 provided a prepackaged mounting assembly for securing an electrical fixture, such as a ceiling fan, light fixture, or similar device to an overhead joist or other suitable structure. The mounting assembly included an electrical box having a closed top, a sidewall, and an open bottom that defined an electrical wiring enclosure. Provided within the junction box were integral holsters for temporary storage of threaded fasteners. A bracket was provided attached to the closed top for securing the junction box to a surface. An electrical fan or fixture is then installed to the junction box by removing the threaded fasteners from their respective holsters and securing them through the top of the electrical fixture and into the bracket.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,356 provided an assembly for securing an electrical fan or fixture to an overhead surface, it has been found that a more secure fan and fixture mounting assembly can be achieved by increasing the stiffness of the bracket and increasing the amount of contact surfaces between the bracket and the electrical box. Accordingly, the present invention improves upon the prepackaged mounting assembly by making it more capable of supporting heavy loads.